letsfigureitout

WOW ChellyBelly, I'm impressed! I'm guilty of not making my S work, and it's because he's been so busy with school, community theater, and summer programs. I can't believe you can fit employment into that sort of schedule. He is working now, and will this summer, but even he would say it's not a "real" job, even though he's getting a paycheck. That's because he's performing. . .

We have been told again and again that there is NO WAY a BFA student will have time to flip hamburgers outside of school. Good luck to you, Chelly!

Blueroses1

I can relate to ChellyBelly's point of view, since my parents won't usually pay for summer programs, headshots, or monologue coaching, and I have to work a lot to pay for a lot of it myself...
I was offered a place in a non equity company for a reputable regional theater this summer and had to turn it down so I can work and make enough...I wish I had parents who realized that adding credits to your resume can be more important!

MichaelNKat

NMR, I think that if a family's finances permit it, your approach makes a lot of sense. Whether it is a high school student or a college freshman, we pile up a lot of expectations and pressures on a student's plate. Take demanding classes, be involved in after school activities, get strong grades - and in the case of aspiring MT high school students, add in hours of dance, voice, and acting classes, school/community shows. Like yours, there is no way my D could have worked a job during the school week in h.s. without jeopardizing her grades or her health. Same deal now that she is in a MT program. Her days are just too packed from 7:30 am to 12:30 am.

That doesn't mean that student will grow up with a sense of entitlement nor without a good work ethic. It also doesn't mean that a student will grow up without the skills to handle money and balance a budget. A parent who provides for their student's needs and a reasonable modicum of fun and frolic can still impart a sense of values and work ethic and provide an opportunity to learn money management skills. As a case in point, we have always told our daughter that her primary job is her education and that we do not want her to work during the school week. That hasn't prevented her from obtaining reasonable weekend employment nor from learning how to balance a budget based on the the allowance we give her as well as the money she earns. In fact, she has done a great job handling her money and her work ethic is second to none.

ActressToBe

My parents never made me work in high school either. When I went to my first college I opted not to work since I wanted to get comfortable with school and get involved in theatre/choir and had my studies to worry about. Unfortunately the fact that I never had a job before REALLY affected me when I tried looking for one. If you reach a certain age and have never had a job, then employers automatically assume a lot of things and will not hire you. I'm so thankful that my first job (my current one actually) were willing to take a chance on me.

It's just something to think about and consider, because being good in school will only get you so far when you need that survival job.

MichaelNKat

ActressToBe - I think you make a couple of good points. Learning how to get a job and keep it is an important skill set that all students need to learn. And you are right that if a student's resume doesn't show some kind of employment history, at some point prospective employers are going to reject applications in favor of students who have a demonstrated work history that reflects experience and a good work ethic.

I think it's important, though, that parents bring a balanced and reasonable approach to these issues, recognizing that each student's circumstances may be different because of the educational/career path they have chosen and further recognizing that in the absence of over-riding and compelling economic necessity, a student's primary job should be that of being a student. That doesn't mean that a student shouldn't be put on a reasonable budget and be expected live within that budget. It also doesn't mean that the student should not be told that if they want to have fun and frolic beyond the parental budget that they will need to supplement with a part time job. However, there is a difference between teaching fiscal responsibility and encouraging a good work ethic on one hand and on the other hand unnecessarily creating financial obstacles to a student pursuing and obtaining those things necessary to be successful in their chosen educational path/career. In my view, the former teaches important life skills while the latter sabotages the student's successes and opportunities.

alwaysamom

My D did not work during her four years of college, during the school year. She did work during summers and earned enough to be able to sustain her through the year for her portion of the costs. Honestly, some kids do HAVE to work, for financial reasons but it comes at a cost and they, and parents, have to realize that. If they're working, chances are that something else is going to suffer. It could be their academics, their availability for shows or other work (tech, small student-based productions and scene work, auditions for shows (we've seen this discussed on CC when students have a work commitment and are not available to attend an audition for a school-related show), or other opportunities which present themselves in the normal course of college student life. This may be something as simple as social interaction and activities. We made the decision, and were fortunate enough to be able to do so, not to have our D work during the school year because we knew that it would affect some aspects of her college experience. Not everyone is as fortunate. If there is any way that those of you who are reponsible for a good portion of your college costs can earn more during the summer so that you don't have to work during the year, please try to find a way to do it. You will be extraordinarily busy in a BFA program and something is going to suffer if you also are working an outside job.

DisneyDirector

It really comes down to whether you NEED to work or not. Definitely don't feel that you are slighting yourself or your studies if you do need to work while in school. Both my wife and I had work study jobs, did multiple shows each quarter, took heavy Gen Ed classes (because that's what happens at Northwestern) and had no problem making it all work. You won't hurt your theatrical studies if you do work study. It all comes down to learning to become a great juggler - which is always a skill you can use later in life anyway. Do what's right for you!

ChellyBelly42

letsfigureitout, I've been very lucky with my jobs. Both of the "real" jobs that I've had have allowed me to have very flexible week-by-week schedules... so I've never had a problem trying to fit everything in. And of course I babysit quite a bit (but I don't consider that a 'job' since I love kids so much).

My mom put herself through college (and at Northeastern, too, not state school or anything) so she's the one who convinced my dad that it was okay to let me go to a $43,000/year college. I'm responsible for half the cost of my education, plus books (and the computer! augh! that's going to eat all of my summer wages) and any spending money for the year. I'm going to be up to my ears in loans, so I just think it's more important- in my case- for me to work a lot /now/ so that I can spend more time auditioning and whatnot after college.

showmom858

My D who is finishing her sophomore year in HS has just gotten her first summer job and it fits in well with the time she has to devote to work. She is working for a woman (graduated with MT degree) on Saturdays and Sundays doing childrens birthday parties. She will be one of the "Princesses" and is able to make $50 plus tips for a 2 hour party. She submits all of her conflicts 2 weeks in advance then gets scheduled for parties. She does not have to drive more than 20 miles each way and there is another girl that lives by us (going to Northwestern in the fall) who is doing this also and they can help each other out if one of them has a conflict come up. She can continue to keep the job during the school year and only sign up for parties as time permits.

We have not required our D to have a job as school is her number one priority and we do expect her to do her best. That said she is like all of your children in that she has voice and rehearsals and dance classes to fit in during the school year with AP and honors courses. She is also a competitive hunter/jumper horseback rider and rides 3+ days per week. I know that I could not do all the things she does every week when I was 16!

soozievt

showmom, funny but my D just played Belle at such a party this past week.

Actually, I'm laughing to myself that she played Belle at a Broadway themed party for TWO year olds last week and this week is singing with her a cappella group for pay at a party for GQ magazine.....very different crowd and very different music!

MichaelNKat

Showmom and soozie, your posts touch on how with a little ingenuity, students, both h.s. and college, can come up with employment opportunities that are a bit out of the box and blend well with the talents, skills and time commitments that MT oriented students have to offer. My daughter works for a DJ/entertainment company as a dancer, vocalist and co-MC. She works a variety of parties including Bar and Bar Mitzvahs, Sweet 16's, record hops and corporate events. The events are usually on weekends and in the middle of each month she tells her employer what her availability is for the following month. She started working for this employer at the age of 15 (having told us at the age of 8 that she intended to get a job as a party dancer when she experienced the entertainment at a Bar Mitzvah for the son of our friends) and continues to work the job as a college student. It was and is the perfect h.s. and college year job for her. She controls her schedule, is doing something that draws on her talents and skills and makes the equivalent of $30 - 40/hour. Plus she has a blast doing it. She started out as a junior dancer and today is a lead dancer on the jobs plus serves as a co-MC and is also the dance manager/captain for the company. Plus as she is working the microphone, leading dances and engaging with the guests, you never know who might be in the audience .

soozievt

Yeah, Michael, I didn't really chime in on this very interesting thread because my child is not about to enter college. But lots of things have come up and so I'll comment on some and share experiences that relate.

One issue has to do with working while in school. I agree with many others that it is very difficult to fit in a regular job while attending a BFA program (as it was during the the school year in HS if heavily involved in Extracurriculars). But two things on that.....one is that you can use your summers to earn the spending money for college and not work during the school year. The other is that you can find flexible well paying work during the school year that you can do when you have time. If you have skills, you can also create jobs for yourself.

I'll share a bit around these ideas from personal experience. First, both my kids earned four years' worth of spending money for college BEFORE they got to college, though I will add that we also give them a monthly allowance for spending money and so with the two combined, they have what they need (we also give them a food allowance as they are not on a meal plan, as well as pay for books and school supplies, travel home or to visit one another, and a yearly clothing allowance). But the money they have earned themselves supplements the allowance so that they can do things in college (and one is in NYC which is an expensive place to be). Then, in the summers, we do not pay for any summer programs and such now that they are in college since we pay all during the school year. My kids have worked every summer and usually in their field and have either earned enough to pay their living expenses for the summer (as they are away from home in summers during college) and in some summers, including this coming one, they are earning a lot and can sock away significant money as well as pay for their summer living.

During the school year, we do not expect them to work and we turned down the work study portion of their financial aid packages. However, each has chosen to earn money from time to time during the school year as extras when they can. My older one was a TA both semesters this year but frankly would have done it for no pay as she wanted to but she was paid. During the school year, my MT kid sometimes earns money but she doesn't have a regular job as her life is chockful and so she works when she feels she can fit it in and in a very flexible way and turns down a LOT of work that she can't fit in as she main job is to be a student. But the flexible things she has done DURING the school year in college include.....giving piano lessons privately to teen agers (is doing one tomorrow and has been paid up to $75//hour) but can't usually fit this in every week as she is in shows and everything. She did turn down teaching a MT class for elem kids for pay. But when she can do it, she does work Broadway themed scripted birthday parties where the "cast" are all people with degrees in the field (she is one of the only without a degree) and she gets paid quite well for those and also tips. This past semester she couldn't fit it in but she did a party last week as she was out of school. She decides which jobs to accept and not and could take on more after graduation as a flexible side job. She has been asked to accompany auditions and shows for pay but turns a lot down but if she had time, she also can earn good money for that and does it once in a while. If you have a skill like accompaniment, you can earn a very good rate and can be in demand actually in the city. In the fall, she was paid as a professional musical director and that job she would have done for free given the level of the opportunity but she made enough to finance a trip to Europe and also save a bunch. So, the point is, you do not have to wait tables and can earn at least $25/hour (usually more) to do work in the field that is flexible where you decide how much or how little you want to do. Then, in the summers, one can earn a good sum to sock away for spending money as well. Again, this is work in MT. This summer, my D's main job (musical director and performer) will earn enough to practically pay a year's rent in NYC for after her graduation.

I agree with someone who said that it also is good if you can hold some jobs before college to have some sort of experience on the resume. I know my older D had taught in children's summer programs and had also been a wait person in a restaurant, all prior to her college years. So, when she wanted to spend the summer in France two years ago, she looked for a job as a wait staff at a country inn (which is exactly what she did in HS) or as a counselor/teacher in a program for kids and she was offered two jobs in France, one in each area of her work experience at that point (she was 19 at the time) and took the one with kids. Without some experience, she never would have been hired. It was a way to spend the summer in France and not have it cost money to go.

And then there is the issue that you bring up of creating your own jobs. My younger D did precisely that and it has been a big money maker that she actually enjoyed a great deal but she was only able to fit it in two summers and not the others due to other job commitments but could have done it every summer due to its success (and it is running without her this summer). The summer after she graduated HS, we did let her go back to theater camp for 3 weeks since she was still only 16 but she had to work the rest of the summer since she was heading to college and to save up more spending money to have for the four years on top of money she had earned for many years in theater that was saved for spending money. So, first she did a professional show locally though that did not pay a lot as she was not Equity. But then, with a local friend who was heading to Emerson's BFA, the two girls created a two-week summer MT program for girls ages 9-14 where they taught classes in voice, dance, and acting and then put on an original musical revue that the two girls wrote for the "campers." It was a big hit and they earned a lot in the two weeks. The following summer, my D was in another state doing summer stock and so the camp was run without her. But last summer, while my D worked in MT and was in a show in NYC most of the summer, she came back home for two weeks to run the program again. The kids here eat it up because the two girls that run it are not THAT much older than them and they look up to them. This past summer, they let the girls write their own musical and even helped them write some songs, in addition to showcasing each girl with regular MT material. They choreographed dances and put on a musical that was on local TV again. It was worth coming home for two weeks to do as my D really loved teaching and directing it actually and this is an example of creating their own jobs (they rented the local theater to do it). It took a lot of planning and organization, but my D had created musicals in HS too and so this was simply making it more educational and for youth. This summer, she is working all summer in MT in NYC so can't run it but her friend is still running it here. I share this as an example of what some of you MT kids could do in your local communities....create your own programs/jobs. It can be a real money maker and a great experience itself.

soozievt

Michael, I forgot to comment on what your D does which is so wonderful and it also worked well for your D that she started in that flexible job in her high school years and happens to go to college in the same area and can continue with it. There isn't much work doing that where we live here. There truly are no Bar/Bat Mitzvahs or Sweet 16s (there were plenty where I grew up which is near you though!). But you also mentioned corporate parties and also how you never know who is in the audience. That reminded me of how my D's a cappella group (in college) was singing in the park and someone saw them and approached them and hired them for some corporate party for pay last winter. And I am not sure how they got the party this week for GQ for pay. That money earned is for her group and not her individually but it is sorta the same idea. When you are in NYC, one thing often leads to another too. Like recently my D said someone saw her in an open mic talent night at school and offered her a gig (singer/songwriter) at a club the other night. Then, recently she was paid to accompany for a gig that RENT cast members put on at a club and that led to being asked to accompany for auditions but she could not fit it in because her school activities are her first priority. But since she plans to stay in the city after graduation, she knows she has ways to earn money while hitting the audition circuit and has networked enough over the four years that she is not starting out new to find ways to earn money there. Others do waitress and bartend but I don't think she is going to ever be doing that. Like you say, there is paying work to be had in the field that pays quite decently and often is quite flexible that is good if you have the skills and can then earn money when you get out of school while trying to be available to go to auditions for performance jobs. This is something for all you younger ones to keep in mind.....develop related skills in the arts.....be it teaching kids, choreographing, arranging, accompanying, directing, tech, etc.

Alliesmom

My D has been lucky enough to get jobs that have allowed her to use her musical theater skills and have also allowed her to continue to pursue classes and performing opportunities. For the past few summers, she has worked as a musical theater counselor at a local studio. The job was flexible enough to allow her to perform in a show at night. This year during her senior year, she replaced a dance teacher at her studio who went out on tour and made a great salary. She worked only 3 hours a week but was paid as a professional The job required her to not only teach but to choreograph a recital piece (for 6 and 7 year olds!!!!) so it was a great experience for her. She also used to give private audition prep sessions for kids who were trying out for some of our local middle school shows. She helped them pick a song, work on a dance routine, go over lines (if they had them in advance) and work on stage presence and what to expect in an audition. This came about by accident -- she was approached by an unknown mom after starring in her High School play. Her name was passed around and these private audition prep sessions turned out to be quite profitable. It was nice for her (and us ) to realize that she could be putting her skills to good use to make some extra spending money in the future.

soozievt

Alliesmom, I am glad you shared that. Things your D did are precisely what I mean too about creating your own jobs and using your skills in the field to garner work. Funny but both things you mentioned, both of my kids also did in HS. My older one was asked to take over for a semester (her final semester of HS) as the tap dance teacher at our studio for a class for middle school aged girls.
She taught the class and choreographed their annual dance for the performance and also was paid. She loved it. Then, my younger one did what your D did insofar as parents paying her $25/hr for her to do vocal coaching to prepare their child for auditions. The child would come over the house. I was pretty amazed a parent would pay my then 16 year old that much but they did. This is something I think some of you HS seniors could do if you establish a reputation in your area and the families of younger children look up to you. If any of you play an instrument well, that also can be a source of income that is flexible. I know a young teen in NYC (who is in MT) has asked my D to teach him rock/pop piano and another friend of his also worked with my D. These families are willing to have my D come to them only when she can fit it in. It does shock me sometimes what they will pay someone so young who has no degree but there are families who can afford to do so. That's what my D is experiencing. If you have some skills, I think you can get paid work that is flexible and that pays a very decent hourly wage....way way more than minimum wage.